Michael Caputo is a media strategist who worked for the Trump campaign. He was in the news last week commenting on the ongoing investigation by Robert Mueller and how it dramatically damaged his life: even though he was just called as a witness, the cost of dealing with the various legal issues has essentially bankrupted him.

Reporting suggests that Mike Flynn, President Trump’s first National Security Advisor, suffered similarly and that he was willing to enter a guilty plea in order to stop the hemorrhaging of his savings; his available employment and possible future income has obviously suffered immensely.

These are just two examples of the “no-holds barred” approach to “getting” Trump, and more to the point, of discrediting or marginalizing conservatives, Republicans, and anyone not supporting the leftist agenda. Tactics include weaponizing the IRS under the previous administration, use of the FISA court to collect information on the Republican presidential candidate, the use of federal agents to enforce BLM and EPA decisions that have not stood up to court challenges, and on and on.

In fact, there’s now a long list of efforts to discredit any challenger to the far left, in which organs of government have been used beyond the boundaries of the law. But those in the “Progressive” wing don’t see any problem with such actions.

Their goal appears to be to create a toxic political environment for Trump, and in general for those who want a smaller government. Fine – if they stayed within the boundaries of the law; democracies should allow for all sorts of ideas and political give and take. But it’s now apparent Progressives are willing to pursue victory at any cost to the system. That they seem to have shredded the FBI and DOJ, and are well along in shredding relevant law and the Constitution, matters not at all.

This is how tyrannies are born.

There’s a scene in “A Man for All Seasons” (taken from William Roper’s biography of More, Roper being More’s son-in-law) where Roper calls for More to arrest Richard Rich – an informant of Cromwell (More still being Chancellor). More protests that Rich hasn’t broken the law; Roper counters that Rich is evil. More answers that he still hasn’t broken the law. Roper says he’s broken God’s law and More answer: “Then God can arrest him.” At which point Roper erupts, asking More if he’d give the devil the benefit of the law. More answers: “This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man’s laws, not God’s! And if you cut them down, and you’re just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I’d give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety’s sake!”

But today there’s a grave difference; what’s missing here is this: the Progressives are so virulently anti-Trump (and anti-small government proponents) that anything is justifiable. Yet, at the same time, they act without the benefit of a belief in evil. They will continue to tear away at every law and regulation and moral and ethical code until they can get at their “devils,” confident that “the ends justify the means.” Unfortunately, they’ll find that, having “cut down all the trees,” they too will be swept away by the evil wind that blows. And tyranny will follow.

We have sitting senators who, in their desire to limit those who speak against them, have spoken seriously of limiting who can print what, of narrowly defining “the press” so as to effectively proscribe the First Amendment; we’ve seen elected officials in several states call for “re-education” for those who disagree with them; we have literally dozens of celebrities publicly comment (one can hardly call it joking) about killing the President.

These aren’t committed citizens involved in the honest give-and-take of a vibrant political culture; theirs is a revolutionary fervor that has shed the constraints of the Constitution and the rule of law; they are cutting down the laws, they are sowing the wind. History shows us – repeatedly that that leads inevitably to tyranny. Those who are so engaged must reel themselves in before they generate a storm, a whirlwind, that will destroy us all – including them.

Copyright 2018 Arrias
www.vicsocotra.com